Page 3 of Jobe

“Captain,” he greeted, sometimes referring back to Tony’s military title.

Tony chuckled, knowing that of all of them, Jobe had the hardest time breaking the habit. “Morning,” he replied, noting the time on the clock. “You don’t think for one day you could sleep in?”

Jobe laughed and said, “Old habits, sir. I just rise early, work out and then head on in.”

Tony eyed him carefully, seeing the straightforward, clear-eyed expression that he wanted to see. All of his squad had experienced the horrors of war, himself included. And each of them reacted differently. Some, like Vinny and Gabe, turned their anger outward, drinking and fucking their way through bars and women for several years. Jobe turned it inward, refusing to think that he could have what he wanted and be a good soldier at the same time. And nothing any of them said made a difference. It simply took time and some good counseling before they could finally see glimpses of the laid-back Jobe again. But by then, the girl he had loved was gone.

The hall began to hum, the two men able to hear others coming in. Doug, who had manned the security cameras overnight, was leaving as Terrance came to relieve him. Other employees came in, checked the orders board and then headed out, usually to install or check the high-end security systems that had been placed in many of the city’s richest neighborhoods.

It was apparent when Gabe and Vinny made their way in as the noise in the main room became louder with the twins’ banter. Tony saw the grin on Jobe’s face and clapped him on the back as they followed the noise to the main conference area.

Tony stood at the head of the table and said, “Shane and Matt will be here in about fifteen minutes. They said the Police Chief wanted to offer us a contract for some cameras and installations. Don’t know anything other than that, so we can just start our agenda until they get here.”

The men around the table talked until the receptionist ushered Detectives Shane Douglass and Matt Dixon into the room. Old friends, they greeted each other enthusiastically and Matt began showing pictures of Lily and their new baby. He glanced over at BJ and said, “Hell, you don’t look much better than I do.”

“Yeah, well take your one baby and multiply it by two and that’s what I’ve got,” he yawned. “Don’t mind saying that I’ll be glad when Lily gets back but I sure as hell don’t resent her taking all the time she needs.”

Jobe sat listening to his friends discuss wives, babies, toddlers, sleepless nights and dirty diapers. It did not escape his notice that he could have had that. And threw it all away. That was the one thing that no matter how many times he talked to his counselor or pounded out the frustration in a long, hard run he could not reconcile—he could not turn back the clock.

Pleasantries aside, Tony asked Shane to start their part of the meeting.

“Ya’ll know I spent a couple of years undercover in a drug gang, so the Chief has put us on a gang task force along with our vice duties. The gang activity is on the rise in Richmond,” he paused, then continued. “Hell, it’s on the rise everywhere. Especially among teens, and that’s where the Chief is asking for some help.”

Matt took over explaining, “There are some places that we know are hangouts and no matter how diligent the street cops are, they just can’t be everywhere. The city would like to partner with you to provide installed security cameras in a few areas that would help the police monitor the worst of the activity.”

The group discussed the number of cameras and locations, then the details about monitoring the cameras. Shane assured them that no one needed to watch the live feeds; the Chief would just use them to help in investigations as they discovered more about the gangs in the area.

Tony nodded toward Jobe and said, “You know he’s my best security technician, so you tell him what you need and it’ll be done.”

The group continued their discussion for the next hour, agreeing on what would be the proper equipment for the project.

* * *

After work Jobe drove around to the quaint neighborhood filled with old, but neat, homes. He parked on the street and sat for a moment looking around. Kids still ran in the streets playing ball, bicycles tossed in yards as they roamed between friends’ homes. Moms were yelling out of the front doors, telling the kids to go wash up for dinner. Dads were pulling into driveways in their trucks or company vans. Most of the families in the neighborhood were still laborers or worked for hourly wages. Hard-working families that took pride in their homes and made sure the old neighborhood was still a good place to raise kids.

Thinking back to the conversation at work with Shane and Matt, he looked around and did not see any signs of gang graffiti in the area. Letting out a sigh of relief, he jumped as a voice called out to him.

“Son, you gonna sit there in that truck all night or come in and have some supper?”

Chuckling, he jogged through the front gate, along the neat walk with spring flowers on either side and up to the front porch.

“Place looks good, pop,” he commented.

Joseph Delaro stood with his son and gazed over the small yard with pride. “Your mother’s got her flowers in and I saw her out here yesterday telling the boys across the street to be careful when they play ball.”

“Some things don’t change, do they?”

Clapping his hand on his son’s shoulder, he said, “Never liked too much change, son. Least not with the good stuff. Let’s go find your mother before she comes out here after both of us.”

Jobe followed his father into the home he grew up in and realized that little had changed over the years. The furniture had been updated over time. A new flatscreen TV mounted on the wall replaced the old one they had when he was a child. As he walked down the hall, he saw many of the same pictures in frames hanging on the wall, but more had been added. His sister, Hannah and Daniel, her husband and two children’s photos graced the space now. His other two sisters, Miriam and Rebecca’s college graduation pictures were also there.

He headed into the kitchen and looked around at the large space. That was one thing his mom had insisted on changing. She hated having a tiny kitchen and separate dining room. So she convinced Joseph to knock down the wall and open the space giving the family a comfortable, eat-in kitchen where she could cook and keep up with all the kids doing their homework at the same time.

He walked in and eyed his mom standing at the stove. He had seen her there so many times over the years he wondered how she had not worn a hole in the floor. Her graying hair was neatly trimmed and she wore a familiar apron over her clothes. Rebecca was setting the table when she saw him first. Greeting him enthusiastically, she walked over to give him a hug. She was now a teacher and shared an apartment with Miriam and another girl. He knew his mom would have preferred the girls to live at home, but was slowly accepting the fact that all of her children were grown.

Rachel Delaro turned from stirring the pot on the stove and grinned. “Well, it’s about time my son comes home to have a meal. You haven’t been here for almost two weeks. Not that I’m counting, of course.”

He crossed the space and hugged his mom, kissing the top of her head. Soon they sat down to dinner once Miriam got in from work. She was a nurse at one of the city’s hospitals and had day shifts this week. Hannah’s family would come over for Sunday lunch, but for now the rest of them enjoyed the meal.

---